Top 15 Core Strengthening Exercises

What’s your core made of? Not steel, of course! But you can build steel-like strength in your core by doing 20 minutes of core strengthening exercises at home. A strong core improves and corrects your posture, reduces the risk of back injury and back pain, and makes everyday tasks easy. Plus, you will get a jaw-dropping midriff that even you cannot stop looking at! So, let’s get started, shed some flab, and inspire others. But first, let me answer a few basic questions. Swipe up!

What Does ‘Core’ Really Mean?

The core is just not your abdominal muscles. Surprise! Yes, your core is everything apart from your arms, legs, and head. So, from your abdominals, to the back, the hips, the back of your shoulders – everything falls under “core”.

Its main function is to generate enough power to aid all body movements. The abs are a part of your core, but they are not the only core muscles. To strengthen your core, you must target all the core muscles. What are those muscles, and where are they located in the body? Find out next.

What Are The Core Muscles?

Here’s the list of all the core muscles:

External Abdominal Obliques – These are the muscles seen pointing diagonally downwards from either side. They are located on the side and front of the abdomen.

Internal Abdominal Obliques – These muscles are under the external abdominal obliques, but point in the opposite direction.

Rectus Abdominis – These are the muscles that correspond to the popularly known ‘six-pack’, seen as those squarish parts in the middle. They are located along the front of the abdomen.

Transverse Abdominis – These are the deepest muscles, behind the oblique muscles and around the spine.

Glutes – These are the hip muscles that help in various movements like walking, sitting, and bending.

Pelvic Floor – These are the muscles that you can feel when you try to stop urinating. You will know your pelvic floor muscles are weak if you pass a little urine unintentionally when you cough, laugh, sneeze, or workout.

Scapular Muscles – These muscles include the ones present on your upper back and at the back of your shoulders – the trapezius, rhomboid, teres minor and major, serratus anterior, pectoralis minor, etc.

So, now you know that to strengthen the core, you must target all the muscles mentioned above. Let’s get started with the exercises.

Remember, warm up for a good 10 minutes before you start. Scroll down for the core strengthening exercises.

3. Russian Twist

The Russian twist is an amazing exercise to get rid of the “love handles”. It will help you shed the flab and get a strong core. You can do it on a mat or a bench and may or may not use weights (medicine ball or a dumbbell). Here are the muscles it works on.

How To Do Crunches

Sit on the mat with your knees flexed and feet flat on the mat. Keep your feet together.

Roll back until the back of your shoulders touches the mat. Do not rest your head on the mat.

Engage your core and place your fingertips on the head to support it. Keep your elbows out, arms wide open, and chest out. Do not tuck your chin. This is the starting position.

Exhale and lift your head (do not push it) so that only the upper back is off the ground. Look at the top of your knees.

Inhale and slowly go back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps – 2 sets of 15 reps

Tip: Make sure you do not overdo it. If you want to strengthen the core (and not just the abs), you should keep the health of your back muscles and spine in mind. Overdoing crunches negatively impacts the spine.

5. Bicycle Crunch

This is a variation of the regular crunch exercise. Here are the muscles that bicycle crunch targets.

How To Do A Side Plank

Lie on your left side. Keep your right leg directly over the left leg and left arm outstretched above your head. Place the left palm flat on the floor.

Raise your body, keep your left palm directly below your left shoulder and form a straight line from head to heels.

Use your abs and gluteal muscles to hold the position for at least 30 seconds.

Sets And Reps – 2 planks of 30 seconds hold

13. Push-up

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Push-ups are difficult if you are starting out. But practicing planks regularly will give you the strength required to execute a push-up properly. Plus, it is a great core strengthening exercise. Here are the muscles that it works on.

How To Do A Push-up

Get down on the floor and push your legs backward until they are fully extended and resting on your toes.

Keep your hands firmly planted on the floor on either side of you, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Your arms and legs should be straight. Your body should be in a straight line from head to heels.

Inhale, pulling in your navel, and bend your elbows out to 90 degrees (and no more) while lowering yourself to the floor. Keep your body straight throughout. Keep the pressure on the outside of your palms.

Exhale and raise yourself to the starting position. Do more repetitions at a slow and steady pace, without compromising on the form.

If this is too hard, you can do modified versions of this exercise. One is by resting your palms on a bench or table instead of the floor. Another is by resting on your knees instead of your toes.

How To Do Plank Jacks

Keeping your upper body and hands steady, move your legs apart (wider than shoulder-width) and then bring them back to the starting position. So, basically, you will be doing the leg movement of jumping jacks in the plank position.

Charushila Biswas

Charushila is an ISSA Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition and a full-time contributor to Diet & Weight Loss at Stylecraze. She believes that food has healing powers and eating good food is the best way to lose weight. A binge eater-turned-fitness enthusiast, Charushila likes to share her knowledge and experience with the world. When she is not working, she loves to cook healthy food, watch movies, travel, workout, and read Bengali literature.